Taking ‘flower power’ to the next level, Volkswagen’s new ID.Buzz has successfully undertaken its most adventurous tour yet, transporting 120,000 seasonal workers (aka bees) from Auckland to Wellington, with the fully electric Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo transformed into a hive on wheels.
The road trip had a wider purpose also – to spark conversations about declining pollination and how everyday Kiwis can help support bees.
Kiwi Beekeeper and Buzz.ID pilot James Green from Hidden Honey safely took New Zealand’s first mobile beehive on its North Island Road Trip, visiting communities and local markets on the way to combine education, engagement and sustainability.
With the new VW ID. Buzz Cargo carefully transformed to house two thriving bee colonies, the ID. Buzz Pollination Tour was a huge success, generating conversations and interest in the road trip of Polly the Pollinator.
Polly started as a factory-fresh VW ID. Buzz Cargo. A team of beekeepers and fabricators used the 3.9 m³ space to house not just hives but a fully climate-controlled ‘beecosystem’.
Each time Polly reached a new location, two custom-made flower latches on the sides of the van opened, allowing the bees to come and go from their hives via a short tunnel. Inside conditions are controlled through the 12.9” Ready 2 Discover Infotainment System (standard) and monitored through the ‘Hive Mind’ (custom) that measures temperature, light and air quality inside the hives.
Worker bees collect nectar by day and sleep in the hive during the night. This means once all the bees are home and in bed, Polly could move silently with zero fumes to the next location – up to 382 km without charge. In the morning, the bees explored and mapped their new environment, pollinating new areas and creating a diversely blended honey that’s never been tasted before.
